NIA Urges GRA And Ghana Post GPS To Up Their Game

The National Identification Authority (NIA) has urged the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ghana Post GPS to up their game in terms of ensuring Ghanaians acquire their Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) and acquire their digital address codes with ease as the two form part of requirements needed for registering for the new Ghana Card.

The National Identity Register (Amendment) Bill, 2017 led to the introduction of the new Ghana Card as this is to do away with the use of Voter’s ID Cards, Drivers’ License and baptismal certificates as proof of citizenship.

The Act however maintains the use of birth certificates and passports. In addition, one is to provide a TIN and a digital address code to be allowed to register.

The exercise currently is being carried out at Adentan as part of the NIA’s pilot project ahead of the nationwide exercise. XYZ News checks indicate that there was massive turn out for the exercise yesterday. However, many were turned away from registering because they failed to provide TINs and Digital Addresses. Questions are thus being asked about why it has become mandatory for one to have these details before being allowed to register.

But speaking on Ete S3n on Radio XYZ on Thursday, November 8, Director of Communications at the NIA, Francis Palmdeti says the Authority has no power because by law, it is mandatory for them to demand those details.

He explains it is expected that, the GRA, Ghana Post GPS, NHIA, SSNIT, Passport Office and EC will work closely together in the future “so asking for those details is for the purposes of harmonization” he said.

Mr Palmdeti observed that “now we can’t do anything about it so what we can say is people should go and do it and bring it” while urging the GRA and Ghana Post GPS to intensify education to make it easy for one to acquire all necessary details.